


Drowning

by Ayesha_Altugle



Series: Elements of Darkness [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Dark, Darkness, Drowning, Elements of Darkness, M/M, alternative universe, drown, prank, prank gone wrong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-04
Updated: 2018-05-04
Packaged: 2019-05-02 04:18:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14536485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ayesha_Altugle/pseuds/Ayesha_Altugle
Summary: Remus can never stand up to his friends. One day a prank on Severus goes too far and Remus has had enough. The prank ends with horrible consequences.





	Drowning

**Author's Note:**

> Elements of Darkness #1 Drowning.
> 
> All the prompts in this series are unrelated, unless noted. The next #2 Coming Undone is related to this oneshot.

It was supposed to be a simple prank.

Remus had heard his friends laughing about something, though he was reading his book at the time, having no clue what they were going on about. All he knew was that they were going to pull another prank on their number one rival Severus Snape.

It had backfired. It wasn't a small backfire, such as Severus finding out about the prank and preventing them from going through with it. Oh no, it was a big, and horrible backfire. Even James and Sirius felt bad about what they had done to Severus, though they had yet to tell the dark haired Slytherin that they were sorry.

“The Giant Squid is supposed to be friendly,” Sirius had defended, though his voice sounded strangely glum. Despite popular rumors, he did know right from wrong. “It was only supposed to give Snape a little scare.”

“How in the world were we supposed to know the squid would think Snape was some a plaything?” James groaned, face in his hands. They messed up this time.

Remus shook his head at his friends, before giving them disappointed looks.

* * *

 

It had all gone like clockwork. James and Sirius had teased Severus until the teenager had enough. Then to perfect the last part of their brilliant plan, they stole his wand, only to throw it into the pond. Some prank. It wasn’t their best thought out prank, more spure of the moment.

Laughing they walked away. Remus looked on with wide eyes. He was Head Boy, and he knew he was supposed to put a stop to things like this; he just never seemed able to stand up to James and Sirius.

 _Next time I will take points and see how they like that,_ Remus thought as he watched Severus try and fish his wand out of the lake. He tilted his head to the side, watching as the Slytherin waded out further into the lake. When Severus was waist deep, Remus realized something wasn't right. Severus had stopped moving, his eyes wide in what could only be described as fear. Severus hardly ever showed his emotions, let alone fear, so Remus was worried.

No matter how mean is friends were to Severus, Remus could never feel the same way toward him.

When Remus saw what was happening, he ran to the lake, and then pulled his wand out. The Giant Squid had grabbed onto Severus and was pulling the teenager under water. He had no chance of getting free without his wand.

“No!” Remus yelled, shooting the first spell that came to his mind. “Stupify!” The spell hit the squid's large head, though seemed to have little affect. Severus was dragged under water and the squid seemed to realize Remus was there and for whatever reason, it reached out, smacking him in the head. The werewolf fell backward, everything going black.

* * *

 

“Your stupid rivalry! Right now Severus is laying in the hospital wing for _drowning,_ Sirius, _drowning!_ Madam Pomfry said he was _dead_ when we were found and brought back to the wing. His heart had to be restarted. Two minutes later and they wouldn't have been able to even do that!” Remus was beyond angry. Usually he was so reserved, but things had gone too far.

Sirius reached out to touch Remus on the forehead where the teen was sporting a horrible bruise caused by the squid. Remus hit his hand away.

“Don't touch me.” Remus turned away from his friends and sighed. “I won't forgive you for hurting me, until the two of you apologize to Severus and mean it.”

* * *

 

Remus walked to the hospital wing and quietly slipped inside. He looked over at Severus, pain coming to his eyes. Sirius and James still hadn't come around to tell Severus sorry and two days had passed since he was brought back. Remus knew that his chances of waking up and being the same were very slim.

_Brain damage... even magic can't touch._

Sitting down next to Severus's bed, Remus reached out and grasped his lifeless hand. “I'm sorry.” Tear after another started to pour out of his eyes. He couldn't stop the flow. No matter how much he tried to think differently, he could not. While his friends teased and tormented Severus, Remus knew that his feelings toward him were quite different.

When it had happened was hard to say, though Remus had a feeling it started back before they were old enough to understand. _You might not remember Severus, but in our first year you saved my life... back before there was any rivalry between my friends and you... back before we were too young to know our houses didn't like each other._

It seemed ironic that all those years ago Severus had stopped a gang of bullies from beating the tar out of him and now Remus couldn't even stop his own friends from bullying the Slytherin.

Slowly, Severus's dark eyes opened. He lazily stared at Remus, trying to figure out why the boy was crying and why his head hurt so much. He didn't feel like himself. Actually... he didn't feel like himself at all, and maybe that was because he couldn't remember anything besides his name and the name of the boy sitting next to him.

Severus painfully set up, causing Remus to startle.

“Severus, you're awake!” Remus couldn't help but exclaim in happiness. “I'm soo sorry for what happened.” Tears still poured out of his eyes and he wasn't even aware.

“What happened?” Severus asked quietly. He sounded meek, almost shy.

Remus raised an eyebrow. This was not how Severus acted at all! Something was surely wrong, though Remus was just thankful that Severus was awake and talking.

“Sirius and James played a joke on you. I should have done something to stop them, though as usual I just looked away. I'm very sorry.” He realized he was still holding Severus's hand and pulled away with a blush. “I should stand up to them.”

“Who?” Severus asked curiously.

Surly after all these years Severus knew James and Sirius's first names, even if he only called them by their last names. Remus stood up and started to pace the room. “My friends. What do you mean who? You've fought with them for almost seven years.”

“Me fight?” Severus laughed. “I'm not supposed to fight or I'll get in trouble.” He wasn't sure who would punish him, but he did know someone had beat him something fierce whenever he caused trouble.

His mouth falling open, Remus leaned closer to Severus and looked into his confused eyes. “How old are you Severus?” He asked quietly.

Severus gave Remus a look as if thinking the teenager was stupid for asking such a thing. “I've just turned eleven. How old are you?” Severus seemed to ask shyly. His cheeks were a little flushed, his eyes bright and alive. Remus had never seen Severus look this way before. He was looking at a child stuck in a teenagers body.

“I-I'm seventeen.”

“Oh,” Severus frowned, before looking down at his bed covers. “I think you're pretty for a boy, but you're way to old for me,” Severus giggled.

Trying to hold back his tears, Remus just smiled. “T-thank you. If you think the same when you grow up, give me a call.”

Growing sleepy, Severus laid back down on his pillow. “I will. Can you tell your friends that I forgive them?” He asked tiredly, before he fell back asleep.

This was not how Severus acted, not even when he was eleven.

“I'm sorry,” Remus whispered. “I should have stuck up for you. I should have told you the moment I knew how I felt. Is it really too late?”

He sighed, before going to find Madam Pomfry to tell him what happened. The other must have really lost a lot of brain cells from being under water so long and for actually _dying,_ even if it had only been for a few moments.

Would Severus ever really _wake_ up, or would he continue his life from age eleven?

 _I love you. What were your true feelings for me?_ Those were words Remus would never be able to ask.


End file.
